Apparatus for cooking thick masses



E. A. STROHMAIER AND B. A. HOOK.

APPARATUS FOR COOKING THICK MASSES. APPLICATION FILED DEC-20, m7.

1 ,366,431 Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

J 7 3 ga I X O INVENTORS B- A. H00

H 02/? .W/T/vm: 5. A. 6TFPO MA A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR A. STROHMAIER, OF SAN MATEO, AND BENTON A. HOOK, OF CENTERVILLE,

CALIFORNIA. v

APPARATUS FOR COOKING THICK MASSES.

Application filed December 20, 1917.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDGAR A. STROH- MAIER and BENTON A. Hoon, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of San Mateo, county of San Mateo, and Genterville, county of Alameda, both in the State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Cooking Thick Masses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a process of and an apparatus for cooking thick massesor pulps, such as the tomato pulp from which catsup is made.

Objects of the invention are to provide a process of cooking thick pulps and to provide an apparatus to accomplish the cooking.

In the manufacture of tomato catsup, the raw tomato pulp is charged into a kettle having steam coils arranged therein at the bottom and steam is fed through the coils to heat and boil the tomato pulp for a sufiicient length of time to cook it. The raw tomato pulp is very thick and sluggish, so that when the steam is turned on through the coils, that portion of the pulp lyingagainst the coils becomes overheated and sticks to the coils and becomes blackened and burned, impairing the transfer of heat from the coils and the quality of the pulp, and also causing a waste of pulp. After every batch of pulp is cooked it is necessary to scrape or scrub the caked material from the coils, before another batch can be charged into the kettle.

It is an object of our invention to provide a process of cooking thick pulp which eliminates this caking and burning of the material on the steam coils and to provide an apparatus for carrying out the process.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where we shall outhne in full the process of our invention when ap plied to tomato pulp and that form of apparatus which we have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part'of the present specification.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the cook ing kettle.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the kettle. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the ejector. In accordance with our invention we Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Serial No. 208,062.

charge the cold raw pulp into a kettle and agitate it with a jet of steam or compressed air. The jet of steam or compressed air produces a circulation of the pulp, so that when the steam is turned into the coils, the pulp is c1rculated past the coils, preventing the overheating of the pulp at the coils and the consequent burning of the pulp. After the pulp has been heated by the coils to the boiling point, the agitation and circulation produced by the boiling is suflicient to prevent overheating of the pulp at the coils and the jet of agitating fluid may be turned off. While we may employ either steam or compressed air as the agitating fluid, we prefer to use steam since the steam so employed assists in bringing the mass of pulp to the boiling temperature. Also, as the thick pulp is'heated it becomes thinner and more fluid so that it is more readily agitated. The steam may be turned into the steam 0011s as soon as the jet has startedthe circulation of the pulp, or when steam is used as the agitating medium,'the steam may not be introduce into the coils until the mass has approached the boiling temperature. Whether the steam is turned into the coils before or after the pulp becomes heated, it is desirable to maintain the agitating jet in action until the mass begins to boil, after which the jet maybe turned 01f.

In practice, the steam jet is turned on when the kettle is only partly full and the charging of the kettle is continued until it contains the desired charge. By this time the mass is well heated and the steam is turned into the steam coils and as soon as the mass is brou ht to a boil, the steam jet is turned off. Vl hen compressed air is used as the agitating fluid, the steam may be turned into the steam coils as soon as the mass is in thorough agitation.

Arranged within the kettle 2, and preferably adjacent the bottom are the copper steam coils which preferably consist of two coils, the outer coil 3 and the inner coil 4, the coils being spaced apart radially to permit circulation of the pulp between them. Steam is admitted to the coils from the steam pipe 5 through the nipples 67 and discharges through the nipples 89.

Depending into the kettle at the side thereof and connected to the steam pipe 5, is a pipe 12 on the lower end of which is secured an ejector 13. The ejector is preferably disposed between the inner and outer coils 8 1 and is preferably arranged adjacent the bottom of the kettle, so that it may 7 be brought into operation when only a small portion of the complete charge has been entered. The ejector comprises a spider 1 1 secured to the end of the pipe 12, a converging nozzle secured to the spider and a steam nozzle 16 forming an extension of the steam pipe and extendingdown into the nozzle 15. The pulp is drawn into the upper end of the nozzle 15 by the steam jet and is forcibl dischar ed atrconsiderable velocit from the lowerend of the nozzle and is simultaneously heated by the steam. The velocity of discharge agitates and causes a circulation of the pulp so that it becomes uniformly heated. The pipes 5 and 12 are provided with valves 17-18 for controlling lower end of the pipe.

2. An apparatus for cooking .thick masses, comprising a kettle having a rounded bottom, heating" means, arranged within the kettle adjacent the bottom, a pipe depending into the vessel, an ejector arranged on the lower end of the pipe to discharge a jet close to said bottom, and means for supplying steam whereby a circulation of the mass about said heating means is caused.

25. A cooking apparatus comprising a kettle, steam coil arranged within the kettle adjacent the bottom, a pipe depending into the vessel and terminating in a nozzle adj acent the bottom of the kettle, a spiderarranged on said pipe, and a sleeve disposed on said spider and having a Wall spaced from and surrounding said pipe nozzle and converging ahead of the pipe nozzle to form r a restricted discharge aperture.-

1. An apparatus for cooking thick masses, comprising a kettle having a rounded bottom, heating means arranged within the kettle adjacent the bottom, a pipe depending into the vessel, an ejector arranged on the lower end of the pipe, to discharge a jet vertically downward close to the curved bottom, and means for supplying steam w rereby a circulation of the mass about said heat ing means is caused;

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our respective hands at centerville, Cali- -fornia, this 18th day ofDecember, 1917. EDGAR 'A. STROHMAI-ER.. BENTON A. HOOK.

I In presence of 13. G. MIGKLE, I

WALTER F. 'STROHMAIER. 

